Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a layered impression cylinder and method of operation thereof and, more particularly, to a so-called reprintable impression cylinder for a printing press, especially an offset printing press, which is wetted with a heated printing ink during printing and transfers the printing ink preferably completely to printing material or stock, and to a method of operating such an impression cylinder.
By a reprintable impression cylinder, there is meant a printing form which can be provided with a respectively desired subject or printing motif by a suitable control or adjustment, during the printing process. In this manner, it is possible that a given subject or motif, which is just then being printed, may be changed during the rotational movement of the impression cylinder so that, with a renewed contact between a given location of the impression cylinder and the printing material or stock, for example, another printed image is produced. It is quite immaterial, with respect to the invention of the instant application, as to how or in what manner the reprinting is to take place, so that further details with respect thereto have been omitted from this specification. What is of particular importance with regards to such a reprintable impression cylinder is that the printing ink is transferred preferably completely to the printing material, such as, paper, for example, during the printing process, so that a clean printed image is formed in subsequent printings, and no losses in quality due to a residue of the previously produced printing occur.